When I think about superhero movies starring Ryan Reynolds, Deadpool is my go-to. How could it not be? The trilogy has done so very well – hitting the right beat of comedy and action. Except, hang on a minute, that wasn't Reynolds' first superhero rodeo...
A rather more infamous Ryan Reynolds flick, 2011's Green Lantern, has been much-discussed as among the worst ever made – despite its mega $200-million budget. Adjust that for inflation and, given the marginal profit made at the box office, it was seen as a flop. But it's still showing on Netflix if your inner Deadpool fan fancies a bit of a giggle.
Except, Green Lantern isn't showing on Netflix for much longer at all – in the UK it's being pulled from the best streaming service on 4 December. So you'll need to act double-quick to tune in, as, let's face it, there's no way on Earth that this movie would be worth renting for streaming. Harsh, but even Reynolds likes to make jokes about this flick.
Don't just take my word for it either: the Green Lantern critics' score on Rotten Tomatoes sits at a paltry 25%. DC fans might've preferred it somewhat more, but the user reviews averaging 45% isn't exactly a strong signal that it's much cop. No surprise, then, that Warner Brothers put the red lantern out and no sequel was ever made.
However, there's a weird nostalgia about seeing Reynolds' good looks with an altogether more boyish charm. And, let's not forget, this movie was when he met his wife, Blake Lively, on set in 2010. So there's a secret budding romance bubbling away behind the movie's typically garish special effects.
If you're not big into DC Comics' characters then here's a summary about the movie: the Green Lantern Corps preserves intergalactic order, but when the first human to join (Reynolds) the fold shows promise, they rely on him as the only hope against Parallax – a new enemy unlike any other seen before. Y'know, the usual intergalactic superhero stuff – just without the same wit or charm as Reynolds' typical characters.
Even so, given there's only a couple of days left to watch, give Green Lantern a final viewing. It'll entertain in that so-bad-its-good kind of way that might be the perfect remedy to all those Christmas movie no.1s that are otherwise dominating the Netflix chart right now. You've got until the end of Wednesday 4 December.
